Rain, summer 2022

 

Came outside at sunrise this morning to discover it had rained last night! There's water in the birdbath & the ground in the backyard is pretty wet! So far this has been a pretty nice summer. It's now 7:17 am and it's only 77 degrees & there's a cool breeze. Lots of pretty clouds in the sky too!

Brownies anf other stuff...

It's been some time since I've posted here. The theme of this blog is only the good stuff. Sometimes you have to spend some time finding the good stuff so you can set the other stuff aside. Tonight I'm doing a little of that and a little catching up because there really is a lot of good stuff and it piles up just like the other stuff, tonight I remember, I reflect and I smile and thank the Lord above for letting the good stuff shine.

• My Mondays at work are sometimes challenging, this one had a few more challenges than I expected. But that's how some days go! For awhile my Monday night escape has been the TV show, Cake Boss! This is a little bit funny if you know I really don't care much about cake! But this show is about family, about creativity, about life values, kind of one of those "only the good stuff matters" and you can always find the good stuff if you keep looking.
• Right now my favorite recorded go to movie is Hallmark's adaptation of Karen Kingsbury's book The Bridge. The other night Doug came in the living room and took a look at the TV then looked at me and asked how many movies the actress Katie Findlay had made, I gave him an odd look, then I laughed & had to confess I've watched this movie a bunch of times over the past several months! that movie is playing as I type.
• OH! back to the brownies! On Cake Boss tonight part of the episode featured Brownies in the bakery that weren't very good. Well goodness sakes! Brownies need to be moist. & fudgy, so sugar, oil and eggs can't be skimped on! Read a box of Betty Crocker and you'll learn that!
• I was just reading my business notes from last year and realized I did a good job meeting most of my goals except for updating my blogs so I am changing that right now! Writing on this blog makes me feel better about me and I enjoy this so let's see how I act on that after tonight.
• Actions... my 4th grade teacher Miss Gleason was the one how taught me the concept "actions speak louder than words". Miss Gleason was right and I am grateful to her.
• I'm typing tonight on my laptop. My husband has been insisting for a couple years I needed a laptop. So a few months ago I agreed to let him buy me this one. I find myself using it more all the time and liking the convenience and portability.

Bedtime is approaching. I have a plan for tomorrow and the realization that I need to remember I can't always be prepared for all the surprises that may unfold each day but with guidance from above things will turn out ok. Time to wake up my sweet Annie so we can go to bed, we are so blessed to have such a happy dog in our home.

Goodnight Everyone, Hugs to all & may God Bless you always,

Patty

Dec 3, 2015

I should visit this blog more often! After all, it's only the good stuff, the stuff that sums up the day when I can come to the conclusion that life is good. Just one week ago we were back in Rancho Santa Fe for the first Lester Thanksgiving at Villa Fiona. It was an amazing day! Nickie & Eric roasted 3 turkeys and a ham. Friends and family brought side dishes and desserts and more than 40 of us shared a traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings. And to see their kids, Alex 16 and Monica 14 growing up to be such great people is heartwarming. And the youngest of our nieces and nephews, Austin, Giana, Peyton and Parker had such a good time! They are all ages 2 -4 and are all so amazing!
We gathered in the living room and Nickie said a Thanksgiving prayer before dinner, we all have a lot to give thanks for. It was the kind of day that stays with you and reminds you how truly blessed life is.
And now today! Lunches are made, Doug has left for work, I've just finished my coffee, next is feeding Annie then it will be time for me to head off to work too. I just need to take a short drive to the post office to mail packages of stamps I sold on Ebay! This Ebay experience was a good one, sold 8 stamp sets, netted $54.30 and everyone paid the first day!

Mt Soledad

Doug was going out on the bike this morning with friends so I decided to take my own ride in the truck! I remember days past when I didn't have much money but I had a full tank of gas - thanks to gas prices being just over $2 / gal right now, today was one of those days!

I decided to head to Mt Soledad. The cross used to sit on a mound of dirt with nothing around it years ago. It was erected in 1954 to honor those who served in Korea. I knew a memorial had been made at the site as a result of local legal challenges saying the cross had to come down. This memorial with the steps up to the cross and the walls of pictures has all been paid for with private funds. There are plaques honoring young soldiers in WWII who died very young as nothing more than a Army PFC, there are former POW's like Admiral Stockdale who returned to his home in Coronado after being held prisoner by the Viet Cong for 8 years. Some of the plaques honor whole families of brothers & fathers & grandfathers, many honor husband and wives who both served. The views from up here are amazing, you can see all the way to Mexico and past Ramona to the snow covered San Bernardino Mountains.

Next on my drive was a stop in downtown La Jolla where is was easy to find a parking place for the truck. I walked a short block over to the beach. Watching the waves and the surfers I could easily see how the ocean captivated my mother, seaside living and visits to Hawaii were her favorites. I even went down to the waters edge to take more pictures and pick up a pocketful of tiny shells, rocks and a piece of sea glass.I'll probably send a few of the shells to my niece Lili since she too loves gathering shells and rocks at the beach.

As I drove through La Jolla and Pacific Beach it was interesting to see how the communities have evolved. La Jolla was the first place I lived when I came to San Diego and it is still my favorite place, Ramona is my second favorite! So at the end of the day what does that say about me? Well I think it just says I'm a small town girl who likes things simple!

My last stop before heading back home was Fashion Valley Mall for a visit to the Godiva Chocolate shop! In 2010 when I visited National Harbor, MD for the CTMH annual convention the tiny town had a Godiva Chocolate shop. The friendly young man told me if I would give the shop my email address I could join the Godiva Chocolate Rewards club and get a free piece of chocolate - every month forever! Well I still have my Godiva Chocolate Rewards Club card! But the 2 stores in San Diego are not very close to where we live so I don't get to visit every month. I went in to choose my free candy and decided to indulge myself in a Godiva style soft serve ice cream cone, price $6! This was a sugar cone, coated on the inside with chocolate, a chocolate nut covered edge and filled with chocolate / vanilla swirl ice cream! So good!

Hope you're enjoying your day too!

Hugs,
Patty

Tonight's sunset as seen from our backyard.
This was our off Friday and it almost seemed like a vacation day. Took Annie for a walk in the morning. Had lunch out on the patio in the warm sunshine. Did a little laundry and got the grocery shopping done so now I have 2 days to spend having fun!

Hugs,
Patty

It's a new year!

2014 has arrived!
This holiday we are enjoying a warm sunny day here in Santee.
I watched the Rose Parade on HGTV from start to finish this morning!
Then we had breakfast of fried eggs & toast.
Conversation during breakfast...

Me: What do you think you want for dinner today?
Doug: Where did you say Dennis & Gerrie had their anniversary dinner this week?
Me: The Brigantine.
Doug: Oh.
Me: So do you want to have a Filet Mignon for dinner?
Doug: I guess so.
Me: OK. We need to go to the store together to pick one out & you'll need to cook it.
end of conversation.

A couple hours later we go to the store. I do not like filet mignon so I know I want some kind of fish. We choose salad things and potatoes then head to the meat counter. there are only 2 packages of filet mignon & both packages have 2 steaks each.
So I pass them up and go to the fresh meat display to see what fish I want & ask the butcher if he can cut us just one filet mignon, which he does. At this point Doug says, "tell me again why I had to come to the store?" I reply, "because I said so!" I love having Doug go grocery shopping with me sometimes, especially if he drives!
Dinner will be delicious!

Doug's meal will be the filet, a baked potato & broccoli in cheese sauce.
My meal will be a grilled orange roughy filet, a baked yam & green salad.
Just like going out! Everybody gets what they like!

and the DVR is set to record the HGTV Dream House special that will air @ 5pm!
Wishing you a Happy 2014!
Hugs,
Patty

it's all done!

as of 10:15 am this morning my 2013 Christmas shopping was complete!
YES! if you are on my Christmas gift list your gift is somewhere in these stacks!
Tags, bags & gift wrap is here too!
Next on my holiday list are my cards! The design is complete so I'm headed to the craft table now!
Hugs!
Patty